FIRST AMBASSADOR: Ferragamo has found its own K-pop artist. The Florentine fashion house has tapped Jeno Lee, best referred to as Jeno, as its first global male brand ambassador.

A member of South Korean boy band NCT, Jeno attended the brand’s fall 2023 fashion show in Milan in February, sharing behind-the-scenes moments of his Italian trip together with his roughly six million followers on Instagram.

“Jeno Lee has a charismatic personality and an uncanny ability to attach with a young international audience through his music, style and persona,” said Maximilian Davis, who took Ferragamo’s creative helm last yr. 

“We’re driven by the identical passion for creativity,” underscored Davis, while Jeno said he was “excited in regards to the opportunity to create synergies with the brand,” which he praised for its “incredible heritage, style and craftsmanship.”

The Korean artist just isn’t recent to the world of fashion. In September last yr, he was the primary K-pop star to open a Latest York Fashion Week runway show, strutting down the Peter Do catwalk in a backless black suit, which was a part of the designer’s seminal menswear collection.

Over the previous few years competition in the luxurious arena has heated as much as secure South Korean idols, with many local stars being anointed ambassadors at one or several brands.

Most famously, Lisa, Jennie, Rosé and Jisoo of Blackpink, the most well-liked all-girl group, have secured partnerships with top luxury names reminiscent of Celine, Chanel, Saint Laurent and Dior. NewJeans’ members Hyein, Hanni, Danielle and Haerin have also been tapped as ambassadors at Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry and Dior, respectively. 

Other examples this yr include Dior and Tiffany & Co. each signing BTS member Jimin; Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein choosing fellow band members J-Hope and Jungkook, respectively, while Valentino picked BTS’ Suga. Givenchy tapped Taeyang, a member of Big Bang and a solo artist, as brand ambassador, too. — SANDRA SALIBIAN

BACK AGAIN: Comme des Garçons’ “Market Market” archive sale is making its return to Latest York City following a six-year hiatus.

WWD can exclusively reveal that it’s scheduled from June 8 to 11 and shall be held at 866 United Nations Plaza.

The sale, with the theme “monolithic magic,” shall be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. day by day. A spokesperson said that queues mustn’t begin before 8 a.m.

Market Market will feature archival Comme des Garçons designs, in addition to pieces from select Dover Street Market-stocked brands at as much as an 80 percent discount.

CDG declined to disclose specifics across the sale’s inventory or amount of stock. With a sales space spanning two floors and 60,000 square feet, the event is predicted to be a wide-ranging sale. The corporate’s Latest York-based visuals team will transform the vacant space with a buildout custom-designed for the sale.

The corporate’s last Market Market sale, held in 2016, drew hours-long lines and was attended by a colourful cross-section of fashion fans who took the chance to each shop and peacock of their favorite Comme looks.

James Gilchrist, vp of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market USA, said in an announcement: “That is certainly one of the special moments where our entire team comes together to collaborate on making this event occur, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming our customers.” — MISTY WHITE SIDELL

HATS OFF: Going forward, Maison Michel goes to show its designs on their heads — by turning them into handbags.

For creative director Priscilla Royer, adding bags to a hat specialist was a natural extension of the brand’s territory. “The bag is clear, from the moment you place a hat down,” she said.

“Once we checked out ways to make recent products with our DNA, the bag felt right since it’s a far more accessible product. It’s less daunting to purchase a bag than a hat,” she said. “I’ve been attempting to shoehorn the concept that hats aren’t out of fashion and this continues my goal from the beginning of putting it on equal footing with bags, jewelry or shoes.”

Each bag design was developed and crafted using the wood shapes which might be used to make hats, which number within the a whole lot. Along with its own stock, the Chanel-owned specialist has been buying vintage ones from workshops closing down and training craftspeople to perpetuate the know-how with recent designs.

“We checked out which of them could do the job and the way we could make recent products with things like our little ears,” she said. But don’t expect to only flip your head gear around to get the identical result.

Although the luggage call on the milliner’s specialty techniques like sewn straw, Royer didn’t want the designs to “just be a hat turned the wrong way up, you needed to have an actual bag ultimately.” Ending them off are leather details or studded straps.  

Named after Hollywood stars, the luggage range from the “Barbara” bucket bag and “Brittany” basket to “Audrey,” a tackle the brand’s best-selling ear-adorned cap.

Available from June 6 on the brand’s boutiques in Paris, London and online in addition to chosen retailers worldwide, including La Samaritaine, Lane Crawford and Korea’s Boon the Shop, the luggage shall be priced between 295 and 875 euros.

Going forward, the Maison Michel bag line will follow an identical evolution to the bridal collection, with recent styles inserted as a part of the label’s spring offering. — LILY TEMPLETON

MORE HELP: After the widespread flooding within the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy that caused at the very least 14 deaths and left hundreds of individuals homeless, many brands have shown their support with donations to the affected populations.

The most recent company to hitch the list is Italian apparel and retail chain OVS, which on Monday donated gift vouchers for the entire amount of 150,000 euros to the municipalities of Cesena, Faenza, Forlì and Ravenna, most impacted by the damages.

Vouchers will be spent in OVS, Upim or Croff shops.

The style industry took motion right after what happened within the region, which plays a vital role within the Italian fashion and wonder supply chain.

Up to now week, luxury conglomerate Kering made an undisclosed donation on behalf of its maisons, while automotive giant Ferrari has donated 1 million euros to the regional civil protection agency. An undisclosed donation also got here from the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton group, to “give a concrete sign of solidarity,” said Antonio Belloni, LVMH group managing director.

Last Friday, Alberta Ferrett staged the brand’s resort 2024 runway show in Rimini after careful consideration and in agreement with the mayor of the town, in addition to national institutions to reveal the resilience of the Romagna region. Aeffe Group, parent company of the brand, said it’ll make a donation benefiting associations energetic in the world in addition to organize a charity auction for top clients of Alberta Ferretti’s special archival pieces.

The Italian government has earmarked 30 million euros in response to the disaster, which took place 11 years after the region was struck by back-to-back earthquakes in 2012.

Last week’s exceptional rainfall is believed to have equaled half the annual average. — ANDREA ONATE

TIME IS MONEY: Audemars Piguet revealed its second watch collaboration with Marvel in Dubai via a charity auction.

The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” is a limited edition watch with only 250 available for purchase. The watch incorporates a 3D silhouette of the superhero presented in a 42 mm titanium case.

The special edition features Spiderman wearing a black suit, which is a direct reference to the 1984 comic “The Amazing Spider-Man” #252.

The watch was auctioned for $6.2 million on the launch event, with proceeds going to First Book and Ashoka, two nonprofit organizations that encourage young individuals with education.

The ultimate total of the auction was $8.5 million, with two other pieces being up for grabs.

The Swiss watchmaker recently named veteran beauty executive Ilaria Resta as its recent chief executive officer.

She shall be joining Audemars Piguet from Swiss fragrance and flavors supplier DSM-Firmenich, succeeding longtime CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, who said last yr that he planned to depart the corporate by the tip of 2023 after almost 30 years.

Resta is about to hitch Audemars Piguet in August and can officially tackle the role of CEO on Jan. 1, following a transition period, the watchmaker said in an announcement Monday. Bennahmias will remain on board until the tip of the yr to make sure a “seamless and orderly” handover, it added.

The corporate said Resta, a Swiss Italian national who lives near Geneva, was recruited after “an in depth global search.” She had been with Firmenich for just over three years, most recently serving as president of its integrated perfumery and ingredients division, and member of the chief committee. Firmenich merged with DSM earlier this month to form DSM-Firmenich. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED

THE VIRGIN KNITS: For its second collaboration, cashmere specialist Barrie is looking on Sofia Coppola for a travel-inflected capsule that shall be available in November.

Collaborating with a creative talent like Coppola was “a desire I’d had for a very long time because I find it all the time very interesting as a young brand,” said Barrie creative director Augustin Dol-Maillot, who sees the addition of an external contribution as “a human adventure that may be very precious to [him] and the individuals who work within the [cashmere] house.”

“Sofia is the sort of person, of woman that I feel of after I envision the brand and who would wear it,” he said, adding that her wide creative range was also a draw. “I’ve all the time been fascinated by Sofia’s precision when it comes to looks and attitude,” he continued, lauding her “perfect balance between timeless pieces and a contemporary silhouette.”

The designer attributed the filmmaker’s elegance to “that special touch which makes [the result] relaxed and comfy, yet so stylish” and used detailing on staple pieces as a solution to elevate them. 

Amongst these are three kinds of buttons that Dol-Maillot describes as “almost jewels,” but additionally the flexibility of pieces that should work extra time, from the airport boarding lounge to a gathering.

Pieces will include an elegant jogging set, a rollneck sweater, classic Barrie pieces like tops and cardigans but additionally a pair of knit ballerina flats. “We would like to work from the very specific Barrie hands, starting with featherweight cashmere-silk blends, and play with the dichotomy between roomy, comfortable cuts and more tailored shapes,” he said.

Colours will include a midnight blue, black, grays and a palette of pinks that may span from shocking to soft.

Coppola, a self-avowed fan of the cashmere brand, had been wearing its knitwear “over and yet again” and expects to be living within the fruits of their collaboration throughout the approaching winter.

She said working with Dol-Maillot and the Barrie team was a fun experience and that they’d managed to achieve her “dream designs: the thought of a travel wardrobe that works together, that’s cozy and chic.”

The collaboration shall be sold at Barrie’s boutiques and on its e-commerce site, in addition to at chosen retailers worldwide. — L.T.

EURO SWING: Loro Piana has revealed the uniforms it designed for the European team competing on the 2023 Ryder Cup, golf’s best team tournament that this yr shall be held in Italy for the primary time.

Strengthening a collaboration that kicked off in 2016, the luxurious label controlled by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton will provide the official on- and off-course uniforms for Team Europe’s athletes and their entourages for the event, which can run from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 on the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, owned by Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna.

Founded in 1927, the biannual competition pits Europeans against America’s best players, alternating locations between Europe and the U.S. too. In light of the several latitudes of the hosting golf clubs, the tournament has represented an occasion for Loro Piana to check recent properties of its fabrics, for the reason that brand’s goal is to supply uniforms that mix its signature understated luxe style with performance, functionality and luxury. To this end, for the primary time Loro Piana relied on 3D technology to simulate the clothing’s response during a swing, for instance, and further guarantee ease of movement during play. 

The six looks include a short-sleeved polo with a shirt-style collar and a high-neck shirt with zipper within the Comfort Light technical material combined with superfine wool, which has natural softness, stretch and heat-regulating capability that enhance ergonomic performance. As well as, a water-resistant vest allows players freedom of movement while lightweight four-pocket pants with a classic fit and tailored details are available in Rain System-treated stretch wool that’s crease-resistant.

To spotlight golfers’ movements in style, Loro Piana’s signature kummel shade stands out on shoulders and runs down the sleeves, along with edging the collar.

“Loro Piana’s iconic outfits have change into synonymous with Team Europe and we’re delighted that captain Luke Donald’s team will change into the fourth successive group of players to don these exceptional products,” said Ryder Cup’s director Guy Kinnings. “Since our partnership began on the Ryder Cup in 2016, the standard of Loro Piana’s fabrics coupled with their specialist design and production knowledge have made them the best fit for Team Europe, ensuring that the players feel and appear the part each on and off the course.”

A choice of Team Europe uniforms shall be available exclusively at Loro Piana’s store in Rome throughout the tournament days, retailing at prices starting from $520 to $3,450.

Loro Piana will moreover support the European team within the 2023 Junior Ryder Cup, to be held from Sept. 26 to twenty-eight. In the course of the final day, the young talents will wear the identical style uniforms because the principal team.

The link with the holy grail of the golf world just isn’t the just one in sports for the brand, which was acquired by LVMH in 2013. During its history, Loro Piana has sponsored a spread of competitions, especially within the equestrian and sailing worlds, from the Piazza di Siena horse race to the Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo and races in Saint-Tropez and St. Barths, amongst others. In 2021, the brand inked an agreement with Turin, Italy-based soccer team Juventus to supply the boys’s team with formal off-field uniforms, extending the collaboration to the club’s female division last yr. — S.S.